“I am particularly happy to express myself today on the occasion of this Franco-Chinese dialogue on the economic transformation and on artificial intelligence.

We are working a lot on artificial intelligence, because the new technologies will be and are changing our lives. Cyber security, biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, neurosciences, the Internet of Things, 3D printing… this affects all areas that our brain is usually thinking about.

Valérie Pécresse, the President of Île-de-France, has just presented a regional plan to support artificial intelligence. This plan is part of a global strategy aimed at turning the region into a start-up area. And, more specifically, the artificial intelligence capital of Europe.

Our President aims to reinforce the leadership and attractiveness of Île-de-France in the field of artificial intelligence. She aims to catalyse the expertise in artificial intelligence to meet the big challenges of tomorrow in the areas of health, security, mobility and employment.

We have such an important amount of industries in the Parisian region that it is sometimes difficult to define, given the numerous fields of expertise. But I believe that artificial intelligence is one of the common denominators of all of these industries. DIGIHALL, our digital innovation hub based in Saclay, combines the best of these academic resources and French talents.

Valérie Pécresse has launched an international challenge – the prize for which we awarded on Monday – with more than a million euros in capital. We have had more than 100 candidates, out of which a third were international. We have awarded four prizes and we have, also, raised the [initial prize of one] million to 1.15 million, due to the high quality of briefs.

China is, for us, a major partner. We have a common presence in the country with the Chamber of Commerce and Paris Île-de-France. [It is] an office in Shanghai that was created in 1995 and which is recognised by the Chinese authorities, and which contributes to the quality of relationships between the two countries. We are working with Chinese enterprises and help to create contacts in China through French enterprises.

China is the first supplier of Île-de-France and the eighth client of Île-de-France. More than 600 Chinese enterprises are implanted in France. They employ more than 30,000 people. Within Île-de-France, this represents 270 enterprises and 3,700 jobs.

Between 2015 and 2017, about 68 Chinese enterprises were set up in Île-de-France, creating around 900 jobs. Among these enterprises are The Bank of Communications, Huawei, etc. Now 64,000 Chinese people are present within Île-de-France: 4,800 executives, 5,000 students and around 800,000 tourists every year.

I could keep enunciating the links that unite France and China, particularly on the cultural front. But I believe that on the economic front, we could have even more opportunities to cooperate. China should consider France as a major partner in terms of industrial solutions and innovation, as an ideal and central destination to reach the European or African market, or to turn France into a base for research and development.”